Wind and water motor



Nov. 29, 1927. 1,650,618

I A. ERICKSON WIND AM) WATER MOTOR Filed July 10. i926 F13. Z

, Patented Nov. as, rear.

AUGUST nnron'son, or nvnnaronrs, iarnnnsora, assreivoa, or Orin-roversso :snnnr onsnn, osmium-Jerome;ivnnnrnsorn, nun ONE-FOURTH T0 nowannn,

rnnnnsou, or ANOKA, MI1\INESOTA.

wmn Annwerna Moron.

Application filed my 10,

This inventionrelates toa wind or water motor and partlcularly to such amotor of large size adapted to be placed in an elevated position inthewind or to beplaced substantially crescent-shaped in cross. sec-- tion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an airor water motorwith'such a Wheel as set forth in the preoedingparagraph, which wheel isaxially journaled in a frame which-is revoluble about a central verticalaxis, a casing being provided about said frame having a plurality ofsides which are equipped with vertically slidable portions adapted to bedisposed at various heights.

It is still another object of the invention to provide anairmotoradapted to be carried on a towerhaving aplatform on which a frame isrevolubly mounted, which frame has standards at opposite ends in whichis journaled a wheel having end plates and a plurality of trough-shapedvanes extending therebetween, said frame being revoluble about avertical shaft disposed centrally thereof and extendingthrough theplatform, said shaft being connected by suitable gearings so as to berotated by therevolution of said wheel, said platform having a pluralityof vertically extensible sides theneabout which can be raisedto and heldat various heights.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in co'nn'ee tion with theaccompanying drawings, in

which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views and in which 1 1 v Fig.1 is a .viewpartlyin verticalsection and partly in front elevation of applicants device} I Fig. 2 isa vertical section taken online 22 of Fig. 1, as indicatedby the arrows;

i Fig.

8 is a horizontal section taken on line ofxFig. 2 as indicatedby the.arrows; V r I r L I i w"j l ?eve sa zti umal et h zzffi ts 1225.: Serialno. 121,702.

Fig. 4 is a partial View similar to Fig. 2,

showing the wheel disposed in the current of a stream. P

"Referringto the drawings, anair'unotorl is shown comprising atowerwhich "will'be" of considerable height and which has aplat- 7 form(Sat its top which is supported upon suitable number of legs 7. A frame8 is pro vided having ournaled thereon adjacentit s bottom a pluralityof l circumferentially spacedrolle'rs 9 restingupon the platform 6' andby means of which saidframe is revolubly supported upon said platform.The

frame 8 has at opposite ends vertical-ly ex trunnions 10 of the windwheel 10. The

tending standards "8 having bearings at' their upper ends inwhicharejournaled the V ll/ hilethese vanes may be made in variousforms; in the embodiment of the invention illustrated they are shown astrough-shaped or substantially.crescent-shaped in cross section: -Abracket 11 is secured atthe outer end of one of the standardsS having anupper bearing through which one trunnion 10of the wheel 10projects,whichtrunnion has secured thereto a beveled gear 12. The gear12 meshes with another beveled gear 13 secured to the upper end of shaft14L journaled in a bearing carried by bracket 11, said. gear 13 restingon said bracket. Another bracket 15 is secured adjacent the bottom ofsaid standard 8" also havin vertical and :3

horizontal bearings disposed at right angles to each other in thevertical bearing of which the lowerend of shaft 14 is journaled, saidshaft having a beveled gear 16 secured to its lower end. The gear 16meshes with beveled gear. 17 carried'on the outer end of shaft 18 whichis journaledinthehorizon tal bearing of bracket 15 and in a smallbearinglSsecured on the frame 8. The shaft 18 I has a beveled gear 20secured *to its inner end which meshes'with another-beveled gear 21secured to the upper end of a vertical Shaft 22 extends downward shaft22. r p through frame 8 and the platform 6 and the power and motiondeveloped by the wind Lwheel lOare transmitted to the 'shaft.' YThe Ishaftv .22 has a" collar 23 securedthereto at 05 some distance below theplatform 6 and a lee . carried. on one end ofthe shaft 29 journaled inabearing secured to the lower side of platform 6. The gear 28 bearsagainst one side-,of-bearing 30 and the shaft 29 is held in position bya collar 31 secured thereto and engaging-the other side of bearing 30.The shaft 29; also has; secured thereto a sheave or pulley'32; overwhich runs a rope 33 whichwill extend downward to a point convenient.for manipulation by the operator.

WVith the described structure, when the rope .31 is operated, gearsQSand E l-will be rotated and frame 8 will be rotated by means of thesleeveextending from gear 2% and sccured to said frame. V

The platform 6 has. a plurality of sides 3i disposed thereaboutand inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated four of such sides areshown. The sides 34: extend to a pointsubstantially in horizontalalinement with the axisofthe trunnions 10 of the wheel 10. Thesides 34:are secured to posts 35; disposed at the corners of the platform (iandsaid posts have grooves or guideways in whichv are slidably mountedvertically movable side members or extensions 36. Themembers 36 havesecured adjacent their lower endsthe ends of the ropes or cables 3?whichextenthover pulleys 38 mounted in brackets 39 secured adjacent thetops of the sides 34 and said ropes 37 then extend down- :ward throughthe platform 6 to apoint which will be convenient for manipulation ofsaid ropes by the'operator.

. In operation the tower comprising the members Twill be of suitableheight and disposed in a suitable place so that the wind will have freeaccess tothe wheel 10. lVhen it: is desired tooperatethe wheel the frame8 will be turned so that. the longitudinal .gears 28; and 24; rotate theframe 8.

axis of. thewheel is substantially at right angles to the directionof'thevwind. The frame 8,. can beturnedby pulling upon the ropes .33which action, as stated, will throp gh he ropes=33 wilLt-hen be securedso that the frame: is held;imthezd esire'd position. The

wind blowing, in. the, direction indicated by, l' thearrpwsadwillnowactuate the wheellO whieh willrotatei iri the direction indicated by;the gjrowg 4linl3fi 2. It will be" seen thatitlre wind calronlyeffectively engage'the upper half of the wheel and is prevented fromblowing against the lower half of the wheel by the sides 34. The wheelis thus very effectively disposed in relation to the wind and therotation of the wheel 10 will rotate the gear 12 which-will, throughgears 13 and 1G and shaft 14, rotate the gear 17. This will in turnrotate theshaftlS-and the latter will through the gears 20 and 21 rotatethe shaft The shaft 22 will extend downward to a suitable point and willbe conn'ected'to the desired machinery or power generating units.

If the wind shoulddrive the wheel 10 at a speed above that desired, theoperator, by manipulating ropes 37, will raise the sides 36 so that thewindcan only strike the upper.

portion of the wheel 10. The speed of the wheel 10 will' thus becontrolled. If'it is not desired to operate the wheel 10, the sides 36can be raised to the limit of thelr vertical movement and wheel 10 willthus be effectively shielded from'the wind.

In Fig. l the wheel 10 is shown as having its lower side submerged inthe water of the stream or current -12 flowing in'the direction of thearrows 43. The wheel will thus be rotatedin the direction indicated'bythe arrow ll. The wheel will be mounted so that it can be submerged moreor less in the current and the power generatedby the wheelthuscontrolled.

From the above description it is seen that the applicant has provided a:very simple and eflicient air or water motor. The ower generating wheelis mounted so that it can be brought into the proper position in thewind and means are provided'for controlling the action of the .wind'thereon. As stated, the'whecl will bemade quite large and a very simpleand eflicient power generating device is thus provided. It is well knownthat in some portions of the country the wind" blows almost constantlyand by the use of applicants device the power of the wind can be easilyand effectivelyutilized. Applicants device can, of course, be used todrive a generator or to operate a pump to pump air or other fi'uid intoa tank which can then be used' as desired. Thedevicehas beendemonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful.

It will, of course, be understoo lthat various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting-from the scope of applicants invention, which, generallystated, consists in a device capable of carryin'g out the objects aboveset forth, in the novelparts and combinations ofpartsdisclosed anddefined in the appended claims.

hat is claimed is '1. A wind motor having in; combination,

a wheel havinga plurality of-substantially axis of said Wheel, a frameon Which said Wheel is revolubly mounted disposed within said casing,said frame being revolubleabout its central axis whereby said wheel maybe rotated to bring said vanes into positionat right angles to thedirection of the Wind.

A Wind motor having in combination, a. Wheel having a plurality ofsubstantially radially extending vanes, a fixed casing sur rounding saidWheel having rigid fixed Walls 7 extending substantially'to the heightof the axis of the Wheel, and vertically movable sections at each sideof said Wheel adapted to beraised different distances above said all andheld in various positions to shield more or less of said Wheel from theWind, a

shaft. extending vertically from the bottom of said casing, a supportfor said wheel revoluble about the axissof said shaft whereby said Wheelmay besrotated about said axis in said casing, and adriving meansmounted on said support actuated by rotation of said Wheel and connectedto said shaft to drive the same. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' AUGUST ERICKSON.

